The Portland Trail Blazers brought in Robert Covington and Derrick Jones Jr. this summer for one thing: Defense. Theoretically, both players provided an interesting dimension offensively; Covington was supposed to be a knockdown catch-and-shoot guy and Jones an ever-present lob threat. But those were just toppings on the defensive sundae.
We’re now halfway through season one with the two wings and the results offensively have been subpar (even with RoCo’s superb Monday night showing). But what about the defense? Have they made a positive difference in Portland on that end? Let’s dive into it.
If we start with team numbers, it hasn’t been a great start so far.